No More 'CAP Flight'?

[ricecakecm]

Single-syllable callsigns are not conducive to effective communications, particularly when weak radios, cockpit noise and cheap microphones enter the equation.  I'd much rather see something like "PATROL" or "CAPPER" etc.  Far less likely to be misunderstood on the radio.

That said, I'm glad to see "CAPFLIGHT" go away...ATC often confused it with "AMFLIGHT" (Ameriflight, a Pt 135 cargo operation) on the radio, and in a busy terminal environment, having to repeat the callsign two or three times for them to get it right really wears thin on their patience and gums up the frequency needlessly.

There are a buch of single syllable call signs out there (i.e. MAC, REACH, SLAM, FRED, RRATS), and I haven't heard of any problems.
Not even overseas where the English skills are not the best.

DEATH, CZAR, PAT, BUD, MICH, DOOM, PARD, FAST.  Of course, my company's callsign is six syllables, which is WAY too long.

[AirDX]

There is an airfreight operation in my neck of the woods that uses CAP ### as a call sign, short for Capitol, City. I wonder what they will use instead now that Civil Air Patrol is "CAP"? ATC has occasionally gotten confused using call signs in the past when our aircraft and theirs were in the air simultaneously

They're not using their correct callsign.... supposed to be CAP CITY, not just CAP.

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/Basic7340.2A.pdf

[AirDX]

Most seem to be 5 letters or less but there are exceptions.  Check them out:  http://members.optusnet.com.au/extremescan/usaf%20callsigns/uscallsigns.html

Many of those are callsigns used on non-ATC channels.

Tactical callsigns used for ATC purposes are supposed to be "pronounceable words of  5 letters or less".  Before you all start yelling "but I heard someone say....", yeah you DID hear Red Lion 14 on frequency... but his flight plan says "RDLN14", and so did his little datablock on my radar screen.  For the computer, callsigns need to be between 3 and 7 characters.

Don't mistake the old "CPF" and "CAPFlight" or the new "CAP" and "Cap" as tactical callsigns - they are a "three−letter identifier and/or telephony designator" per the ICAO.   

[Nick]

So, as I live and breathe ...

Just saw general notice 12/18 come out for JO 7340.2C the other day (available here) effective Aug 2 and lo and behold, it says:

ADDITIONS
US AIR FORCE AUXILIARY, CIVIL AIR PATROL (CAP)
(MAXWELL AFB, AL) CAP-FLIGHT CPF

So apparently CAP-Flight's back.  Anyone have any idea what the motivation was for this one?

[arajca]

We have both CAP and CAPFlight. CAP is our primary, CPF is the backup. Per National, there is NO plan to go back to CAPFlight. When the FAA gave CAP to CAP, is was supposed to be an addition to CPF, not a replacement. The new FAA letter merely adds CPF back to CAP. It does not take away the CAP designator. Some ATC and FSS didn't pay attention to the letter. CPF is under "Additions". National has been requested by wing comm folks to work with the FAA to get this matter resolved.

[lordmonar]

Got an E-mail from NHQ DC about this.

When we switched to CAP XXXX from CAPFLIGHT XXXXX the FAA was supposed to keep the CAPFLIGHT call sign avialble....but they did not.

This simply adds the call sign to the available list......but according to everyone in the E-mail......we are NOT supposed to use it.

[Critical AOA]

My understanding is that the FAA added it back as an approved call sign though CAPNHQ prefers we just use CAP which is still approved and was not deleted by the FAA. 

[JeffDG]

Got an E-mail from NHQ DC about this.

When we switched to CAP XXXX from CAPFLIGHT XXXXX the FAA was supposed to keep the CAPFLIGHT call sign avialble....but they did not.

This simply adds the call sign to the available list......but according to everyone in the E-mail......we are NOT supposed to use it.

I use CAP all the time, it's about 50/50 whether ATC responds as CAP or CAPFLIGHT.

Doesn't really matter to me, I still know they're talking to me!

[Critical AOA]

Yep.. I've had ATC answer back with capflight#### after I had used cap####. 

[DG]

The change from Capflight to CAP was needed to avoid confusion occuring with ATC with the

Compassion Flight call sign.